Cotton-seed separator



(No Model.)

J. S. ZERBB.

COTTON SEED SBPARATOR.

No. 404,066. Patented May 28` 1889.

(RWM. wwf/ N. PETEns Phuwumagmp'nur, Washmgmn, D. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES S. ZERBE, OF HARTVELL, OHIO, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS,

TO THE NATIONAL COTTON-SEED OIL AND HULLER COMPANY, OF MEM- PHIS, TENNESSEE.

COTTON-SEED SEPARATO R.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 404,066, dated May 28, 1889.

Application filed May 29, 1886. Serial No. 203,613. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES S. ZERBE, of Hartwell, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Cotton-Seed Separators, which improvement is fully set forth in the following specification and accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is abroken side elevation of my imio proved cotton-seed separator. Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional View of Fig. v1 through line X; and Fig. 3, an enlarged view of the conveyer-shaft, showing manner of disposing the flights thereon. Fig. 4 is a perspective I5 end view in detail of Fig. l, the pulley and gearing removed.

My invention is an improved machine for separating the kernels of cotton-seed from the hulls and lint after the hulls have been zo broken by passing through the mill. Its object is to effect a complete separation of the hulls and lint from the kernels.

The invention consists in the peculiar construction and combination of parts illustrated in the drawings, all of which will be first fully described, and then particularly referred to and pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, in which like parts are represented by similar reference-let- ;o ters Wherever they occur throughout the various views, A represents the frame of the machine, in the upper part of which is secured a U-shaped trough, B, of sheet metal, the lower portion of which is perforated to per- 3 5 mit the stripped kernels to pass through. This trough is closed at bot-h ends and top, except the opening at the discharge end for the passage of the hulls. Upon the top or cover I, at one end, is a hopper, K, through which 4o the seed from the huller is fed to the separator; but in practice I prefer to mount the huller upon the separator-case in the position occupied by the hopper. At the receiving end of the separator-case is a gate, J.

The separator-shaft O has its bearings in frame A and passes centrally through the separator-case. Upon this shaft are secured flights H, which extend to within a short distance from the case, as seen in Fig. 2. The

5o separator-shaft is designed to be run at a high speed-say about three hundred revolutions per minute-and is driven by a power applied to the pulley G, which is secured upon shaft F through a cog-wheel E, which is secured upon the same shaft and meshes with a pinion, D, secured upon the end of the separator-shaft C. The peculiar manner of arranging the iii ghts H upon their shaft, which, in combination with the case, effects a complete separation of the kernels and hulls, and 6o which I regard as an essential feature of my invention, is illustrated in Figs. l and 3. The flights are sections of an Archimedean screw or conveyer, and are secured upon their shaft upon different but parallel spiral lines, each succeeding iiight being upon adifferent spiral from the one in advance of it. The object of this arrangement is to break up the balls of hulls and prevent them from being twisted into strings, as would be the case if the lblades 7o were arranged upon one continuous spiral line. The blades so arranged act as an eX- haust-fan, drawing air through the lower perforations in the case and exhausting through the discharge end. The pressure of air will 7 5 therefore force the lighter hulls and lint upward and through the opening in the end of `the case, while the heavier kernels will drop through the perforated bottom completely free from lint and hulls. 8o

The material passing through my separator, by reason of the peculiar arrangement of the separator and case, is not subjected to a violent beating action, which tends to separate the lint from the hulls, in which case it is liable to adhere to the kernels, but the lint will remain on the hulls, leaving the kern els clean.

Vha-t I claim as new is- 1. In a cotton-seed separator, the combination, substantially as set forth, of the shaft 9o C, the flights H, secured thereon upon different but parallel spiral lines, and the inclosing perforated case, within which the separatorshaft is mounted to revolve.

2. The combination, substantially as speci- 9 5 tied, of the case B, perforated at bottom, and U-shaped in cross-section, as shown, and the revolving separator and conveyer consisting of the shaft C and spirally-arranged nights I-I.

3. The combination of the supporting-frame Ioo 

